Safes are used in many indoor and outdoor environments to restrict access to various items by providing an enclosure with a door or other such access port. A safe typically includes a locking mechanism, such as, for example, a combination lock, padlock, or key operated latch, to limit access to the contents of the safe to one or more authorized users. Some applications may require secure storage of a smaller item, such as for example, a key. One example of such an application involves a key used to gain access to a location or structure to which many individuals may from time to time require access, such as for example, a storage locker, office building, or a portion of a vehicle or structure attached to a vehicle, such as for example, a trunk, trailer, or car top/cargo carrier.
Where multiple users require access to such a key, it may be desirable to store the key on or near the location or structure with which the key is used. While keeping the key in an unsecured location would risk loss or theft of the key, thereby compromising the lock with which the key is associated, conventional safes and other locking enclosures may be impractical or ineffective for securely storing a key. A relatively large locked enclosure, such as a more traditional safe, may be aesthetically undesirable, inconvenient, or obstructive, and may not be easily or inexpensively mountable, for example, to a wall or door. A smaller portable safe, if kept in a location where any potential authorized user may access it, may be at risk of loss or theft of the entire safe, along with its contents.